Delivery-wagon



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

LE. BESSETTB. DELIVERY WAGON.

N0. 555,423. Patented Feb. 25, 1896.

7 H awagw Attorney 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 (No Model.)

- L. E. BESSETTE.

DELIVERY WAGON.

Patented Feb. 25, 1896.

Inventor- OaMMM W innesses:

Attorney.

A N DREW EGHANAMJNOTO-LITNO WASHINGTONJJ c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUKE E. BESSETTE, OF ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA.

DELIVERY-WAGON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,423, dated February 25, 1896. Application filed November 28,1894. Renewed January 20, 1896. Serial No. 576,225. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUKE E. BESSETTE,2L citizen of the United States, residing at St. Cloud, in the county of Stearns and State of Minnesota,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Delivery-Wagons, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to wagons for carrying and delivering merchandise, and has for its object to provide a construction that can be loaded and unloaded with ease, and quickly and effectually closed when desired, and also protect the contents from robbery and from exposure to the sun, dust, or rain, as more fully hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the wagon-body closed in. V Fig. 2 is a side view showing the wagon-top and tail-board open, exposing the interior of the wagon. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same. Fig. 4 is an end view of one of the straps for holding the tops in their open position.

In the said views similar figures of reference denote corresponding parts.

The numeral 1 denotes the wagon-body proper having the seat 2 for the driver and awning 3 to protecthim in inclement'weather.

I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate the running-gear, as it forms no part of my invention and may be of any desired construction.

At the two rear corners of the Wagon-body rise the vertical bars 4. These bars are connected at their tops by the curved cross-bar 5 and to the front awning-frame 3 by the horizontal bar 6, the whole forming a compact and strong framework over the wagon-body proper. Additional vertical rods or posts 7 may be located midway between the awningframe 3 and the bars 4. The central longitudinal bar 6 runs from the curved cross-bar 5 to the awning-frame 3, and to this bar I attach by means of suitable hinges 9 the two tops 10 of a shape such that when closed down over the wagon-body they will form top, side and rear covers, completely inclosing and protecting the contents thereof. Formed integral with the tops 10 are the rear pieces 11, which, in conjunction with the tail-board 12, serve to close in the back end of the wagonbody. This tail-board is of the ordinary construction and may have suitable catches of any well-known construction, such as the spring-catches 23, to hold it in its closed position. A sliding tray 13 fits in the bottom of the wagon and may be drawn out from the rear when the tail-board is down.

Supported by suitable cross-cleats 14' mounted on the bars or posts 4 and 7 are the series of trays or shelves 15 adapted to be drawn out from either side when the tops 10 are raised. It will thus be seen that when the tops 10 are raised and the tail-board dropped down the whole contents of the wagon are exposed to easy access, while at the same time the closing of the tops and tail-board provides a complete protection for the goods at other times.

In order to retain the tops 10 in their raised position I provide the metallic straps 16, each pivoted at its top end to one of the tops 10 at its front end. Projecting from the awningframe 3 are the pins 17 adapted to engage notches 18 in the lower ends of said straps when the tops 10 are raised. Springs 19 pressing against the straps serve to press them normally into engagement with the pins 17. The bent lower ends of the straps offer handholds to force the same out of engagement with said pins when it is desired to lower the tops.

Hooked catches 20 are located on each hinged top, adapted to engage with loops 011 straps 21 fastened to the wagon-body, whereby the tops may be secured in their closed position. The front part of the wagon-body proper is closed in by the partition 22 extending as high as the central longitudinal bar 6 and curved on its top edge to correspond with the curve of the cross-bar 5. It will be understood that the rear vertical bars 4 and the cross-bar 5 may be formed of separate pieces joined together, or they may consist of a single metal bar bent to the required shape, as shown in Fig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a wagon, the combination with the body proper, and the hinged tail-board attached thereto, of the movable rigid top cover forming a cover for the wagon-body at the top, sides and rear, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a wagon the combination with the body proper, and the hinged tail-board attached thereto, of a top cover formed in two parts adapted to cover the wagon-body at the top, sides and rear, and centrally hinged to the wagon-body, whereby they may be raised back to back to afford access to the contents of the wagon, substantially as shown and described.

In a wagon, the combination with the body proper, and the tail-board attached thereto, of a snpporting-framework rising from the body proper, a central longitudinal bar running the length of the wagon-body, and tops hinged to said longitudinal bar whereby they may be raised back to back to expose the contents of the wagon-body, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a wagon, the combination with the body proper, a framework rising therefrom, and tops hinged to said framework, of means for retaining said tops in their open position and consisting each of the notched strap 16 hinged to the top, the pin 17 in the wagonbody, and the spring 19 for keeping the notched strap normally into engagement with said pin, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a wagon, the combination of the body proper, a framework rising therefrom, tops hinged centrally to said framework whereby they may be raised back to back, cleats run.- nin g transversely of the wagon-body an d carried by the framework, and shelves or trays supported by said cleats and movable thereon, substantially as shown and described.

LUKE E. BESSE'PPE. \Vitnesses:

J. I. DONOHUE, ALBERT Low. 

